Egyptian Initiative Won, Hamas Lost, Says Diplomat

“Hamas has suffered a military beating, in terms of the rocket array and the tunnels, and has arrived in Cairo with its demands no longer on the agenda,” a diplomatic source said Tuesday. “Hamas could have received the same thing in the first ceasefire that was offered, but it refused the Egyptian initiative and in the end surrendered to what the Egyptians dictated. The siege has not been lifted. In the end, the Egyptian initiative has won and therefore Hamas has lost.”

The Israeli negotiating team is reportedly already in Egypt and was to meet with Egyptian intelligence officials Tuesday evening. The Egyptian officials are acting as mediators between Israel and Hamas.